What causes men in power to lose it all?

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
-- Abraham Lincoln

Is there something about power that makes men do stupid things? Or, are men just being men?

There was a discussion on the radio last week that pretty much attributed the idea of powerful men falling onto their own swords as little more than men being men. Their thesis was that men, whether in power or not, will do what men do. But there must be more too it than that. We’ve all heard the saying that power is intoxicating, and some people (men and women) simply can’t resist intoxication.

Nevertheless, there seems to be a rash of high-profile men who have recently been brought down by moments of lust and abandon. For those moments of selfishness, careers have been brought down. While this likely has not changed since the beginning of time, what has changed is the way we communicate.

Today’s social media and the traditional press (belligerent or complaint, depending on their political affiliations) can make or break a person. For instance, we are only now, decades later, finding out about President John F. Kennedy’s many dalliances and affairs. This leaves us wondering that, if not for Matt Drudge’s blogging, would President Clinton’s exploits have been kept equally secret.

Gone are the days of such secret affairs. Oh, some get away with it for a while, notably, John Edwards and Arnold Schwarzenegger who both kept their affairs secret far too long, making the public all the more suspect.

Then there’s O.J. Simpson and Dominique Strauss-Kahn who crossed the line from mere exploitation to actual (or with Strauss-Kahn, alleged) crimes.

And poor Tiger Woods. He was on top of the world when he got caught cheating on his wife, completely destroying his image and his career.

It all comes down to the fact that great men are not always wise. In fact, most of them are not wise, but only educated, and we all know that education does not provide wisdom.

Perhaps it would be helpful for those in positions of power to remember that “He is most powerful who has power over himself.”

Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician said: Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.

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Bluebell Homemade Vanilla corrupted me. I got a taste of it, and I became an ice cream addict...from that moment on, I would do anything that I had to do including stealing cars, rob 7 elevens, mug old ladies with big purses ... More ›

Bluebell Homemade Vanilla corrupted me. I got a taste of it, and I became an ice cream addict...from that moment on, I would do anything that I had to do including stealing cars, rob 7 elevens, mug old ladies with big purses to get my ice cream fix. With much effort, I just about had my ice cream addiction under control and then they introduced Chocolate Covered Cherry Ice Cream and Fudge Ripple. Sadly to say, my addiction is only worse now. I hate Bluebell....they are the cause of my downfall.